CSX+ fonts & cross-platform email exchange

[John Smith]

On Fri, 11 Jun 1999, Lars Martin Fosse wrote:

> Like you, I have for various reasons to use a Windows-PC, although my
> experiences with the Mac are much better when it comes to handling our kind of
> material. I have heard nice things about Linux. Have any of you had any
> experience with the use of Linux as an operating system?

I have used Linux for over five years. It is a far better product than
Windows -- even Win NT -- with a huge range of excellent software; it is
also free. It has now matured to the point where the major distributions
are easy to install/upgrade and pretty straightforward to administer.

The down side (from most people's point of view) is that Linux is a Unix
clone. If you want to use Unix, I can't think of a better solution at
reasonable cost (i.e. buy a PC and throw away the bundled Windows OS). But
many -- probably most -- people would find Unix difficult to handle. If
your idea of a nice machine is a Mac, forget it: Unix is a system that has
to be *learnt*, and the learning curve is neither short nor shallow.

Typically, text handling on a Unix machine is done in plain text files,
using a typesetter such as TeX for printed copy. CSX can be made to work
in this configuration (I use it as a matter of course); CSX+ would just
take a bit of extra effort. But more PC-like word processors and other
similar "application" software have now started to appear, so that route
is also available; the existing CSX+ fonts should work fine with these
packages.

John Smith

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